Video: Gabby Giffords leads the pledge of allegiance at Democratic National Convention

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBarack Obama greets Representative Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat from Arizona, before his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012.

By Gail Lubin/Special to NJ.com

Delivering one of the most poignant moments of the Democratic National Convention, former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords took the stage tonight and led the gathered delegation in the pledge of allegiance.

In 2011, Giffords was shot in the head during an attack in Tuscan that left six people dead. Doctors called her survival a “miracle,” and her continued recovery from such a critical injury has been considered remarkable.

In her first major public appearance since resigning from Congress in January, a still recovering Giffords was accompanied onto the stage by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz (Fla.). The crowd at Time Warner Cable Arena greeted her warmly, on their feet and applauding wildly. Standing at center stage, she supported her right hand with her left, holding it near her heart as she recited the pledge.

Before leaving the stage, Giffords blew kisses to the crowd, who gave her an extended standing ovation and chanted “Gabby, Gabby, Gabby.”

More than one member of the Democratic delegation was moved to tears by Giffords’ appearance. On social media, too, there were emotional reactions from politicians, celebrities and members of the media.

Ok, now Gabby Giffords just made me cry. What a testimony to strength, resilience, perseverance and beauty!